IT never ceases to astonish us how Activision has dragged itself out of the big Atari-shaped hole of the 1980s, and transformed itself, caterpillar-like, into a swirling, beautiful butterfly-type creature. Albeit, the sort of butterfly which releases games.

The firm has done so well for itself over the last couple of years that it now has money literally pouring out of its stomach. Yet it puts this big stack of cash to good use, snapping up the finest games in development around the world.

The latest acquisition for the firm is from the stupidly-named US studio, Mango Grits: Barrage, a fast-paced 3D shoot 'em up which deliberately drags one foot lazily over the shattered carcass of classic arcade gaming.

"Barrage promises to give PC gamers the instant gratification and adrenaline- pumping gameplay they expect from an arcade game," said Mitch Lasky, senior vice president, Activision, Inc, and a man fluent in the language of Press release. "The game's superior graphics, hard-hitting gameplay and multiplayer component will offer a heart-stopping action experience," he continues in this arcane tongue.

Mango Grits claims that the game is the perfect showcase for both the current and emerging wave of PC 3D graphics cards, with locations ranging from downtown Chicago to the Grand Canyon to an impressive underwater section. Players are painfully strapped into the cockpit of a high-tech hover vehicle, and have to blast their way through the assembled ranks of the opposing miliary force, while searching for a teleporter portal to whisk them to the next stage before the portal disappears.

It could be good, or it could be rubbish: you'll find out in a couple of months.